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Tuesday, 07 September 2004
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COMPOST AND SOIL CONDITIONERS - IMPROVERS
COMMON PROBLEMS - Q’s & A’s
Q: I have clay soil, how can I improve its quality to make it
useable?
Diagnosis:
Clay is heavily compacted soil, and can prevent water and nutrients getting
to plant roots.
Solution:
Apply a
soil
conditioner that works on compacted particles and organic matter to
make your garden’s soil more friable and crumbly. This will enable plant roots
to penetrate deeper into the soil and will boost soil aeration and improve
drainage and moisture retention to stimulate plant and lawn growth.
Adding organic matter, such as coarse sand and peat will also help improve
the texture of clay soils.
Dig only the topsoil when cultivating any soils. Digging deeply can bring
subsoil (especially clay) to the surface.
Q: After heavy rainfall this year my backyard has become
waterlogged and this is starting to affect my fruit trees. What can I do about
this?Diagnosis:
Water-logged soils can mean fruit trees are susceptible to fungus disease
and internal browning.
Water-logged soil can indicate poor drainage around the trees, this can be
due to heavy or clay soils.
Solution:
Apply a soil conditioner around water-logged trees. This will provide the
necessary calcium and sulphur and also has a beneficial effect on the soil
itself, improving drainage and aeration.
When planting trees, dig the hole two to three times larger than the
roots. Fill with water, if it doesn’t drain away within a day dig the hole
deeper.
Add sharp sand and compost to help with drainage and soil texture.
Q: What can I use to encourage water retention in my sandy soil?
Diagnosis:
Sandy soils are less effective at retaining water and nutrients than clay
or other soils due to its coarseness or grittiness.
Sandy soils easy to cultivate and have good aeration and drainage.
Solution:
A wetting agent is particularly handy for use in sandy soils. It
maximizes the water-holding capacity of soils and potting mixes, and
transports water evenly and rapidly to the plant’s root zone where it is
most needed.
SaturAid
should be applied every six months.
Adding organic matter to sandy soils can help improve water and
nutrient retention. Tui Organic Compost is a combination of organic
matter with added
gypsum. Adding this to sandy soils will helps to
improve the structure of soil and its water-holding capacity.
Sandy soils benefit from more frequent, light watering.
HYDRATED LIME (COMPOST ENHANCER)
Q: How can I speed up the composting process?
Diagnosis:
Traditional compost-making can be quite a lengthy process.
Compost can be useful in improving soil structure, adding nutrients to the
soil and plants, and can reduce water use.
Solution:
To develop a nutrient-rich
compost in a shorter amount of time apply a
Compost Enhancer (Hydrated Lime) to composts. This will
accelerate composting and neutralize acidic soils. It will also release
soil nutrients to plants. Add between layers of material in the compost
heap.
Hydrated lime is the fastest acting form of lime in raising the pH
of your soil.
Compost Enhancers are an excellent way of keeping away flies.
Turn over your compost heap regularly to aid with aeration.
Add live worms to your compost - they will improve soil structure by
mixing organic matter into the soil, and increase air supply to the
soil.
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